The Greatest Gift
by Grey Like Stormy Skies
Summary: To Alice, Neville was the greatest gift in the world.  In a time where there was nothing but destruction surrounding her, she was given a beautiful, perfect baby.  In a time when she was beginning to question her cause, she was given a reminder. [oneshot]


_**The Greatest Gift**_

To Alice, Neville was the greatest gift in the world. In a time where there was nothing but uncertainty and destruction surrounding her, she was given a beautiful, perfect little baby. In a time when she was beginning to question why they were still fighting, she was given a reminder.

Alice was frustrated to no end during her pregnancy; just because of her present _state_, she was no longer allowed to go on any of the missions for the Order, and was stuck going through mounds of paperwork for her job as an Auror at the Ministry. The only thing that got her through, really, was that sweet Lily Potter, who was pregnant at the same time. Oh how they'd laugh, already planning playdates for their sons, who of _course_ would be best friends.

Alice gave birth first—a whole day early. While the actual birth was terribly horrific and painful, once it was over she never thought of it again; her mind was fully occupied with thoughts and dreams for the beautiful baby boy she'd named Neville.

For the first month of Neville's life, Alice stayed home with him instead of going to work. It was the proper protocol, after all, but Alice had a sneaking suspicion that even if it wasn't allowed, she would have stayed with her baby; she knew there was no way she could leave him. Sometimes Lily would come over with her little Harry, but mostly, it was just Alice and Neville.

She had quite the magical baby monitor hooked up, so that no matter where in the house she was, she would hear him make even the slightest of cries. And so that first month passed, with Alice reveling in the amazing feeling motherhood brought, filled with a new determination. Without a doubt, she knew, Neville was her miracle.

The first day she went back to work was one of the hardest days of her life. That morning, Frank tried pulling Alice away from her baby for a quarter of an hour before she finally was ready to leave. She spent the entire day fidgeting and worrying about whether Neville would be okay with his grandmother; she was so much of a bother that finally her partner, James Potter, chucked a piece of Droobles Blowing Gum at her head.

"Maybe you can take all your emotions out on the gum, and not me, yeah?"

And that was how her addiction started. From that day on, whenever Alice was separated from her baby, she'd pop in a piece of gum and chop on it mercilessly. It was silly, but it was her own way of dealing with the anxiety.

Alice swore up and down that it was Droobles who got her though the days of Neville's first year; the nights, of course, were saved merely by her son's presence. But it was the beginning of Neville's second August that gave Alice more of a reason than ever to chew her gum; Dumbledore had reminded them of the Prophecy made more than a year ago, and seemed to think it would be safest for them to go into hiding.

While the Potter's refused to, in James' words, "surrender," so soon, Frank and Alice decided that it was a sacrifice they needed to make. And so they left their jobs and went into hiding, rarely seeing anyone other than themselves. Now Alice was near her son all the time, and yet she still would chew her gum daily; it was a habit she just couldn't break.

Neville seemed to be fascinated by his mother's gum, if only because the wrappers were so shiny and glittery. Alice couldn't count the number of times she'd found him crawling to the large box of chewing gum she'd forced Frank to buy for her; each time, she'd catch her son just as he was about to stick his adorable, chubby fist into the container. And each time, Neville would cry as he was pulled away.

And then, one September morning, Alice came up with a brilliant idea. Each time she popped in a piece of gum, she gave the wrapper to Neville, who thought each one was the greatest gift in the world. Each time, he'd poke and prod the wrapper to his heart's content, before giggling and sticking it under the rug or down the side of the couch; he thought of it as their private game of hide-and-seek.

And so they spent their fall days inside, chewing gum and playing with the wrappers. It was difficult, and seemed nearly hopeless, but Alice would still smile every time she glanced down at her son; he was her miracle, after all, and the greatest gift in the world.

On November first of Neville's second year, Alice and Frank got word that Voldemort had been destroyed; neither knew how to take the news. While it meant that the threat in their lives was now gone, it also meant that two of their closest friends—and work partners—had also perished. And so, not knowing what else to do, Alice went straight for her box of chewing gum, not even thinking as she popped a piece in her mouth and handed the wrapper to her son. She had no idea it would be the last time she would do it with a sane mind.

That night, intruders hidden under dark cloaks descended upon their home; Alice and Frank were down in the kitchen, and no one thought to check upstairs for Neville. And so while his parents were tortured to insanity, he slept soundly in his crib, a wrinkled chewing gum wrapper clenched in his right fist.

And now, fifteen years later, that same wonderful boy is in a closed hospital ward, and there's a new chewing gum wrapper locked in his hand. And even though his Gran may think it's rubbish, and even though his Mum may not be able to voice her love for him anymore, he knows it doesn't matter. Because that wrapper in his hand, it's the greatest gift in the world.

* * *

A/N: I have no idea where this came from, it's sort of a random topic, but it popped into my head and I had to get it down…

Anyway, seeing as you've taken the time to read this and all, I'd really appreciate it if you took another minute to leave a review, and let me know your thoughts/reactions. Thanks!


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